GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government has decided to scrap its official Chinese New Year open house this year despite the significant progress made in lowering the number of Covid-19 cases.
Referring to the adage of better safe than sorry, the state information department stated that the decision was made in view of the concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant, which is the most transmissible form of Covid-19 to date.
This is the second consecutive year that the state government has scrapped its open house celebrations for Chinese New Year.
The state government was forced to do so last year when Penang was in the midst of a lockdown due to the Movement Control Order imposed nationwide.
On average, the state government typically hosts up to 20,000 people annually during the open house celebrations usually held at the Spice Convention Centre near Sungai Ara, here.
Last week, the Chew Jetty clan also cancelled their annual open house celebrations, which are a big tourism draw, out of concern over the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, state health authorities have urged people to be mindful of Covid-19 symptoms after the state recorded another brought-in-dead case.
According to the CovidNow website, there is a 21% rise in the number of hospitalisations in the state. The state exco for health Dr Norlela Ariffin has been urging residents to maintain SOP (standard operating procedures) compliance against the virus.
At present, there are 1,692 active cases in Penang, of which 151 remained hospitalised and 18 are confined to intensive care units. – The Vibes, January 10, 2022
